Today, large video displays are very expensive. This is because the achievable size for both cathode ray tubes (CRT) and single panel liquid crystal displays (LCDs) is limited. Also, within the achievable limits, the greater the size of the CRT or LCD panel, the greater the cost. Furthermore, while several CRTs or LCD panels may be combined into a single, larger display, the cost of using multiple such display devices, combined with the cost for the control system that coordinates what is displayed on each, is prohibitive for most applications. Another alternative, conventional video projection systems, are bulky and are costly because of their complexity.
When used for video telephony, the aforementioned large video display systems do not permit good eye contact between the parties on the video telephone call. This is because of the difficulty in placing the camera in a position so that good eye contact is achieved while each party is looking at the image of the other party or parties that is being displayed.
A further difficulty with prior display devices is that they are not suitable for use in displaying separate, full color, left and right images for use in creating 3-dimensional images.